Monday, March 4th, 2013 at 4:40 pm  |  84 responses

Kobe Bryant Says He Would Have Smacked Serge Ibaka in the Mouth for Groin Chop


With the Los Angeles Lakers set to face off with the OKC Thunder tomorrow night, Kobe Bryant was asked about Serge Ibaka’s vicious chop to Blake Griffin‘s groin area on Sunday. Ibaka claims that he wasn’t trying to hurt the LA Clippers star forward. Kobe claims that he would’ve retaliated immediately and dealt with the searing pain later, which sounds impossible. Per the LA Daily News: “I probably would have smacked him in the mouth,’ Bryant said after practice Monday at the Lakers’ facility in El Segundo. Griffin didn’t get the chance to do that. He understandably slumped to the ground. ‘I would’ve dealt with the pain afterwards,’ Bryant said. It remains to be seen what the NBA will do. Ibaka’s foul surprisingly didn’t result in an ejection, which a play that coincided with the Clippers taking a 100-99 lead with 1:30 left after scoring seven unanswered points. But to the Clippers’ frustration, Ibaka then scored on a three-point play. The Thunder afterwards insisted Ibaka meant no ill intent. But replays clearly show Ibaka deliberately fouled Griffin in the groin area. The NBA is currently reviewing the play, which may result in Ibaka’s suspension when the Lakers (30-30) visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-16) at Chesapeake Energy Arena.”

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  • LakeShow

    He’s .1 assist behind being the best assisting shooting guard in the L…
    Juss sayin.

  • LakeShow

    “I remember the Alamo”

    “I remember 9/11″
    “I remember the great world genocides”
    Oh yeah and…

    “I remember the chris childs”

  • LakeShow

    Video proof please. I’ll wait…………………… …………………..

  • LakeShow

    That was this decade, damn. Oh no it wasn’t… Your getting sloppy in your old age Allen.

  • 23

    So kobes marketability/trash talking makes him better than Duncan? More popular yes, but better?

  • 23

    KG would’ve been talking trash. That’s it. He would not have dealt with it in a physical way

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    Really? Hmm, guess I was tripping then. I owe Kobe an apology for years of questioning how he could have let that slide and talk tough. It doesn’t change the Raja issue, or the infamous Chris Childs two piece, but I have still been very wrong.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    All reasonable people know this.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    What are you talking about? You said “You can’t be a rookie averaging 41% FG’s and considered on KB’s level.”

    But KB actually averaged 41 percent from the field as a rookie. And scored slightly less than eight points.

    So who were you talking about then? Clearly, CLEARLY you were talking about LeBron and his .417 shooting percentage as a rookie, the lowest of his career and roughly the exact same percentage that Kobe shot.

    The difference, of course, is that by the next year, LeBron shot over 47 percent from the floor, which is better than any year in Kobe’s career.
    In fact, throwing out their rookie years, LeBron’s worst year from the field percentage wise is better than Kobe’s best year. Just for future reference.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    oh no you are definitely right that Kobe has no room to talk. I’m just pretty sure the Doug Christie punch you are talking about was on Rick Fox. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZWA5ygow5Q – but that’s not to say you may be thinking of something else.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    So, you’re arguing that Duncan’s four titles as the undisputed man and a legit offensive and defensive juggernaut do not outweigh Kobe’s time as the number two for his first three rings?
    Honestly, I can see the argument for Kobe over Duncan as far as career as they age as being more reasonable because Kobe is still so elite while Duncan is just good. However, it must be noted that Duncan has NEVER endured prolonged slumps in team performance similar to what Kobe has seen, and that he has had success with much less talent. Finally, he’s been incredibly more efficient

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    KG caught his face shot from Anthony Peeler and a headbutt from ZaZa. He shouldn’t be mentioned either.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    The Chris Child’s two piece is one of the most enduring moments in NBA history boss.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    I stand corrected.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    I’m not saying that Kobe doesn’t throw elbows or exchanges shoves on occasion. I’m saying he ain’t smacking players, and nothing in his history says that he would smack a player.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    No, I was clearly wrong. I got Kobe and Rick Fox confused. Not sure how that happened, but it did.

  • LakeShow

    For you, boss.

  • LakeShow

    We are talking about best player of the last decade. Kobe was NOT a rookie in the last decade.

    READ!

  • LakeShow

    Actually his 4th year he put it together pretty well. He was a very good defensively, and had started to patent some of his offensive moves by that point.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    So, you’re argument is that because LeBron came in shooting 41 percent as a rookie he wasn’t on Kobe’s level? That’s your argument.
    That’s even worse then not taking the time to investigate the stats.
    More importantly, it means that Kobe clearly wasn’t the best player in the League at any point during his first decade in the League. Not using the 41 percent metric.
    Bottom line, Bron has been the best player in the League for about half of the past five years. Kobe, Tim Duncan and Iverson all held a piece of the crown at various stages during the period prior to those five years.

  • shockexchange

    Bandz make Horry Jr dance … With “exceptionally more talent than the rest of the L” he can win with no hands.

  • Caboose

    Left out defense again Allen haha.

  • LakeShow

    Your just making up rules as you go along.
    We were talking about that last decade in the L. How does that translate in your mind to Kobe’s first decade in the L. He’s a 17 year veteran.

  • LakeShow

    lol, why would stats be in the way of someone who is a top 10 player of all time…

  • toner83

    ‘I, too, would’ve dealt with the pain afterwards. In fact, the pain would’ve been the one slumped to the ground’ – Chuck Norris.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    But that’s the thing – by his 4th year, Lebron was already a leading MVP candidate and catapulted his team to the Finals. Meanwhile, Kobe was finally learning how to play within the team concept and rounding out his skills. The start of Lebron’s career is much more impressive than Kobe’s if we’re talking basketball accomplishments, stats, etc.

    Kobe has a better story (bench-warmer to option 1A) from his early years, and had flashes of the consistent brilliance he’d soon display, but it didn’t happen overnight like Lebron’s ascension. Kobe wasn’t the Kobe we know until 2000-2001, although 2000 Kobe was pretty damn good.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    well i called duncan a defensive juggernaut in his peak. at this point they are equal defensively in a lot of ways and Kobe is superior offensively and health wise for sure.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    Anyway you make that argument, it’s bogus.
    If we look at the last decade, it’s obvious that LeBron has been in the conversation for best in the League since about 2006, and has been considered the best by many since 2008. He’s definitely been a better all around player than Kobe since 2008. If you do the math, that’s 7 out of ten years where Bron was on Kobe’s level despite shooting 41 percent as a rookie.
    More importantly, if shooting a crap percentage as a rookie eliminates you from consideration for being the best in a given decade, then Kobe cannot be in the discussion from 1996-2006 since he shot the exact same percentage as Bron his rookie year pretty much.
    Kobe is great. But he competed with Duncan, Iverson and darkhorses like McGrady for best in the League early in the decade. And he was surpassed by Wade and Bron late in the decade. At least in my opinion. But no matter what, the 41 percent comment didn’t make sense.

  • LakeShow

    Agreed.

  • Caboose

    They are not even CLOSE defensively right now. Duncan currently leads the league in defensive rating by a good margin while Kobe is having a statistically worse defensive year than Luke Ridnour.

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    thank you

  • http://twitter.com/apowellAdvocate Allen Powell II

    I don’t trust defensive rating. I know that’s old fashioned, but I don’t trust it. Based on what I’ve seen, Duncan is more consistent, but when locked in, Kobe can still handle most players, even the best ones, at his position. duncan struggles with the best, kills the inferior ones. The problem is that Kobe tends to sacrifice defense to conserve energy

  • Caboose

    Allen, come on man…I know defensive rating isn’t the end all, be all, but their difference is 14 points. That’s more than the gap between:

    Tony Allen and Andrea Bargnani
    Chris Paul and Jose Calderon
    Dwight Howard and Steve Nash
    Thabo Seflosha and JR Smith
    Joakim Noah and Amare Stoudemire

    I can keep going, but honestly, Kobe is WORSE than average while Duncan is leading the league comfortably. The difference is that you’re right, when Kobe focuses, he can hold up his defender decently for a couple possessions. But he’s an ATROCIOUS team defender. Duncan is one of the top 5 one-on-one post defenders in the game right now and arguably the best team defender in the league. I honestly don’t get how you can say they’re close.

  • Slick Ric

    Didn’t Stephen Jackson get find for saying something similar..

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